The U.S. men’s hockey team suffered a shocking early exit from the world championship as they lost 1-0 to host Czechia in the quarterfinals. Boston Bruins forward Pavel Zacha scored the lone goal for the U.S. in the second period, while Anaheim Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal made 36 saves to secure victory for Czechia. This defeat marked the earliest exit for the U.S. in the tournament in five years, after reaching the semifinals in each of the previous three years.
Czechia advanced to the semifinals where they will face Sweden, while Canada will play against Switzerland in the other semifinal match. The gold and bronze medal games are set to take place in Prague on Sunday. The U.S. team has not won a silver medal at worlds since 1950, and their last gold medal at a standalone worlds tournament was in 1933.
The roster this year was one of the most decorated in recent years, featuring several NHL All-Stars including Johnny Gaudreau, Seth Jones, Brady Tkachuk, and Zach Werenski. Alex Lyon of Detroit Red Wings started both games for the U.S during group play but had to be replaced by Charlie Lindgren of Washington Capitals after getting injured during game two against Austria
